Locking lever for loose-leaf binders



April 21, 1931. c. H. FRANZ, JR

LOCKING LEVER FOR LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Filed Aug. 8, 1950 Patented Apr. 2,1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application led August 8, 1930. Serial No. 473,817.

. This invention relates to loose-leaf binders of the type embodying a sliding, locking bar carried by one of the covers for removably engaging headed studs or posts carried by the other cover and is an improvement over my pending application Serial No. 35,084 filed June 5, 1925.

Considerable difficulty has been experienced in'properly grasping the locking bar to pero mit the convenient sliding thereof into and out of this locked position.

It is therefore one of the primary objects of my present invention to provide a handle or finger piece on one end of the locking bar,

so arranged as to permit thefsame to be readily engaged by the operator and to effectively permit the easy sliding of the locking bar.

Another salient object of my invention is the provision of an operating finger piece on the locking bar extending substantially parallel to the covers of the binder and having a portion thereof extending above the plane ofl the loose-leaves, whereby the ingers of the o erator. can be placed between the leaves and t e top cover for engaging said finger piece, thereby readily permitting the. actuation of the locking bar.

YWith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary end elevation of 85 a binder showing my improved manipulating finger piece incorporated with the locking bar thereof and illustrating the method of actuating the same.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse section through the binder illustrating the arrangement of the headed post and the locking bar relative to one another.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the lilleV 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating the position of the finger piece relative to its adjacent cover.

Referring to the drawing in detail wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several 5o views the letter A generally indicates a looseleaf binder which 1s of the type shown in my mentioned application and thus the binder will not be described in detail, but it is to be noted that the same includes the covers 5 and 65 6 having the rigid back pieces Z and 8 respectively. The cover 5 carries the headed adjustable posts 9 having the heads 10 which are received in the slots 11 formed in one edge of the tubular sheath 12 carried by the 60 cover 6. The sheath 12 slidably receives the locking bar 13 for the heads 10 of the adjustab e posts 9 and by referring to Figure 3 of the drawin it can be seen that the locking bar is provi ed with bayonet-shaped slots 14 for receiving the headed ends 10 of the ost. p In one position of the locking bar 13, the transverse portions of the 'bayonet-shaped --slots14 lnegister'with the slots 11 inthe sheaf 70 12. When the locking 'bar is in this osition the headedends -10 of the post v9 can e read ily introduced into the sheath and when the locking bar 13 is moved to its locked position as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing thecov 75 ers 5 and 6 are held ina locked assembled position. Thus vby sliding' the locking' bar 13 the covers can be connected or disconnected.

As in the usual construction the adj ustabl posts 9 receive the perforated 1oose-1eaves 15 wlici are to be held between the covers l5 an In accordance with my invention I provide novel means for facilitating the sliding of the lockingibar 13 in its sheath 1,2, and this means 85 embodies a finder piece 16 formed on' one end of the said loc "ng bar 13. The finger pie/co 16 is formed with Athe locking bal* and is connected thereto b means of the twisted shank portionj' an this shank por- 9 tion 17 is so twisted as to permit the extending of the finger piece 16 in the same direction as the covers 5 and 6 and in a direction parallel with the loose-leaves 15. The finger r spaced at all times from the leaves 15 and a portion thereof extends outwardly of the uppermost leaf. Thus the finger piece is disposed between a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal edges of the cover 6 of the binder and the upper edge portions of the leaves 15.

By this arrangement and construction the finger of the operator can be readily inserted between the cover 6 and the loose-leaves 15 for engaging the finger piece, which will permit the easy shifting o the finger piece laterally and the consequent operation of the locking bar.

It is obvious that if the finger piece 16 were depended inwardly between the planes formed by the opposite edges of the stack of leaves that difficulty would be experienced in placing the fin er between the loose-leaves and the finger piece, but by having the finger piece extending in the direction parallel to the cover with a portion thereof above the leaves 15 the same can be conveniently enga ed and actuated.

hanges in details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention.

. I claim:

1. In a loose-leaf binder, a pair of covers,

ing twisted to form a mani ulating fin er piece, the transverse body o which is (fisposed at right angles to opposite sides of the locking bar with a portion of said finger iece being normally arranged outwardly o the loose-leaves and inwardly of the vadjacent cover.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wis consin.

CHARLES H. FRANZ, JR.

headed posts carried by one of the covers and tending parallel to said covers and leaves and having a portion thereof arranged between a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal ed es of the cover of the binder and the upper e ge l portions of the leaves to permit the conven- 1ent engaging thereof by the finger of the operator.

2. In a loose-leaf binder, a pair of covers;

headed osts carried by one of the covers and adaptedp to receive loose-leaves, a sliding locking bar carried by the other cover for the headed ends of the osts, and a. manipulating finger-piece formed) on one end of the locky ing bar and extending at right an les to the longitudinaledges of the locking ar parallel to the covers and leaves, a portion of said finger piece being normally arranged between a plane erpendicular to the longitudinal edges of t e cover and the upper edge portions of the leaves.

3. In a loose-leaf binder, a pair of covers, headed posts carried by one of the covers and adapted to receive loose-leaves, a substantially flat. slidable locking bar carried by the other cover for engaging the headed ends of the posts and one end of said locking bar be- 

